Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-05-26

gan 20 arrive In the city this morning
: The first company to make It's appear
ance was the vicksburg Southrons
Then came the Muscatine Rifles and
the San Antonio aud Belknap Rides,
: These companies from a distance, be
sides others coming from afar, wanted
to arrive early la order to have time e
rest from their long journey before the
beginning of the drill.
The army officers appointed to be
the judges In the various competitions
of the drill have been preparing their
programme, but of course, the nature
OF the thing makes It improper to pub
fish 1t now. 1t is similar to a civil SER
vice examination paper, inasmuch as
1t must be kept private until the time
Of the contest. The companies will
not learn from the judges the particu-
lar maneuvers they will be required to
perform until they enter the drill
ground for competition.
As the day of the grand rendezvous
approaches the excitement greatly
increases, and the hurry and hustle on
the drill ground and the camp field
grow greater. Five thousand chairs
have been placed in position on the
reserved seat" section of the grand
stand, and any spectator who INDUCES
in this luxury will pay seventy cents
for it. twenty-five more than will be
asked for seats elsewhere on the stand.
Eclectric light lamps have been sus-
pended all over the ground from tall
poles, and indeed everything seems
complete on the scene unless it be the
absence of caterers supplies, which
will not be brought until during the |
opening hours. The caterers, you
know, never care TO be much ahead of |
their customers
What most attracts the attention of |
the casual observer at the drill ground |
now is the work in progress upon the
theater where the naval battle in which |
the Merrilnac. the Cumberland and the
Monitor played the chief parts, will be
produced in fireworks every night du-
ring the drill. Three days ago the cas-
ual observer might have seen pile of
railroad iron lying on the green in that
division of the drill ground. Two days
ago he might have watched the work
men lay down heavy railroad with
the lines crossing each other in some
thing like the shape of the figure s.
When the railroad was completed the
men went TO work to set up an irregular
board fence ranging in height from five
to six feet at some points to thirty or
forty at Others. This fence they paint
ed and will illuminate to appear to the
spectators on the grand stand like a
rock-bound seashore with sandy
beach and the broad sea beyond. On
this seattle Hampton Roads-the
ram Merrimac will make
havoc among the Union fleet until the
Monitor sails in and denolishes her.
In daylight and behind the scenes, all
the paraphenlia for this display, look
like the hollow mockery of the real
things, just as they are, but when lit
up with the magic that will be brought
to bear upon the scene, it will probably
be the most realistic fire works drama
ever given in America. A;
The drill is all important to most I
persons here now, but to few, other
matters seem to be equally so. Tho
President has inaugurated summer by
appearing upon the fashionable drive
in high white Lat; Recorder of Deeds
rrotter is we'll enough to be at his of ,
ice again; the government employees
ire panic stricken over the new rules 1
adopted by the Civil Service Commits
sion and approved by Mr.. Cleveland,
and the regents of the Mount Vernon s
Ladies' Association are in secret SEES
lion at Washington's old home, and
aIe quarreling as they do annually over :
he questions which come before them :
Tor attention. q
The filling of vacancies In the board
)f regents has occasioned the ladies
no end of trouble, and seem to be as
lifficult of solution as the tariff ques- 9
ion is to politicians. The require 7
nents OF admission to the charmed 7
'ircle" involve so many things that i
nave TO be closely inquired into and /,
discussed, that in doing SO it causes =
action. Last year this state of affairs
existed to such degree that the COZ n
ending factions were very strained in +
heir bearing towards one another. In
The question Of improving the tomb
Of Washington, will be considered at
ibis session. The recent criticism pass r
I'd upon the rather dilapidated old {
structure by the distinguished English h
nan, Canon Wilberforce, when he +
visited the spot a few weeks ago. has y
caused many of the ladies TO agree y
With him. He said marble tomb q
should replace the present brick one, {
md ii would not be surprising IL a res r
'lution should be adopted at this 4
Meeting appealing to the people OF n
he country for money I'm that ,li,ec- =